Few days to Edo guber polls, the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in next Saturday’s election in Edo State, Asue Ighodalo, has pledged that his party will sign the peace accord with other political parties once the Federal Government and the Nigeria Police Force meet all its conditions.
Ighodalo, who was a guest on Channels Televisions Politics on Monday, lamented that some PDP members have been arrested and detained without being charged to court.
He said that his camp will not hesitate to sign the peace accord already signed by the other parties involved in the election once his supporters are released.
“We had a number of conditions, most of the conditions have now been met with one left. Many of our guys have been held unjustly.
“We think if you hold guys, you either charge them or you let them go on bail. So, either they charge all our guys and we are represented or let them go on bail. Once that is achieved we will sign the peace accord,” Ighodalo said.
The PDP candidate cited lack of level playing ground as the major reason his party declined to sign the peace accord, but acknowledged that the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun has now assured the party neutrality.
“We saw a lot of our supporters being harassed, being intimidated, we saw thugs from the other party – everybody saw them on TV with weapons, none of those guys were arrested.
“Of course, we have a reason to feel strongly harassed and intimidated. Based on that we felt strongly that unless a level playing ground is created, we would not sign the peace accord.
“But today we feel a bit better, the Inspector General of Police has given us his assurance and his word as a man of great honour that we will have a level playing field,” he said.
He maintained that his camp preach nonviolence and that will not change any time.
On Thursday, all political parties participating in the Edo election signed a peace accord on to shun violence, but the PDP declined to participate in what has become a pre-election ritual in Nigeria’s electoral space.
Former Head of State, General Adulsalami Abubakar, who is the head of the Peace Committee had said that PDP chieftain and outgoing governor (Obaseki) said the party won’t sign the peace pact over some allegations levelled against the police.
PDP Chairman in the state, Tony Aziegbemi, also stormed out of the peace pact venue in protest on Thursday.
He told journalists on his way out that a member of his party who doubles as Esan West Local Government Area Chairman, Collins Aigbogu, was picked up by the police days ago and had not been released.